Tag Archives: donkeysaddle projects

During these first weeks of the Trump presidency I am reminded, more than ever, of the importance of resistance that is grounded in the values I hold most dear. Community. Equity. Love. Human Dignity. Freedom. Justice.

The video shows scenes from my play about the police killing of a Palestinian teenager interspersed with the reactions of audience members at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, drawing parallels between structures of oppression in Israel and here in the U.S.–and linking the struggles for liberation and equality.

The connections revealed in the video are profound. The sense of possibility expressed in communal joint struggle is deeply inspiring. This inspiration is reflected in the words that audience members called out after post-play discussions:
“Stand Proud.”
“Fearlessly.”
“Together.”

Participants in a community residency in Gainesville, FL rehearse for a staged reading of There Is A Field

I hope you will take a moment to watch–and share! I would love to hear your responses if you do!

[Donkeysaddle Projects is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of Donkeysaddle Projects must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.}

It is with great excitement that I welcome Amer Shurrab as the new Project Manager for donkeysaddle projects.

Amer’s first official day was Monday–and he has already jumped in with both feet, taking on the many-pronged responsibility of maximizing our projects’ impact and reach.

Amer brings to this work expertise from his recently completed MA degree in International Policy Studies and his MBA in International Management from the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He brings his passion when he speaks publicly about the devastation his family experienced (two of his brothers were killed during the 2008/9 attack on Gaza, and four of his cousins during the 2014 Gaza war) and about the ongoing violations caused by occupation and siege.

Most importantly, Amer brings to donkeysaddle projects his deep commitment to human rights, to social justice, and to the principles of equality and human dignity. These principles are at the core of why we do our work, how we do our work, and the world that donkeysaddle projects is trying to build.

I am writing to you from a café in East Jerusalem. Since my arrival over two weeks ago, I have been surrounded by evidence of deepening oppression, heightened desperation and palpable fear for what the future brings.

But I have also been inspired by Palestinians and Israelis who are resisting occupation and racism, and are working towards a vision of a future where everyone’s rights are equally protected.

This desperation—and the hope for meaningful change built by those actively resisting—is not just in Israel/Palestine. I saw it when I marched with thousands of others in the streets of New York demanding accountability for the police killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. I felt it when filming with human rights defenders who were standing strong in the face of brutal repression in Bahrain, Brazil, and Honduras. I read it in the correspondence I received from scores of men and women in prison throughout the U.S.

I wish I could promise that the next film or book from donkeysaddle projectswill free all political prisoners in Bahrain, bring equal rights to all Palestinians and Israelis, and end the state violence that has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S, particularly targeting communities of color. But I know that donkeysaddle projects alone cannot achieve this. Our work is one small part of a much larger, critically important effort–an effort that will need sustained commitment from all of us.

What I can promise is this: With your support,donkeysaddle projects will continue to expose the human impact of state violence, repression, occupation and other violations of human rights. And, in doing so, we will continue to amplify the stories and voices of those who are resisting with humanity and dignity.

For only when all lives matter equally, can the meaningful change that protestors from Ferguson to Jerusalem to Bahrain have been calling for take root.

As 2014 draws to a close, I hope you will choose to include donkeysaddle projects in your year-end giving and help us highlight humanity.

If you have already contributed, please know that your gift is appreciated greatly!!

PS- For a summary of what we accomplished in 2014, and our plans for the year ahead, please click here.

PPS—Though a one-time donation (via credit card or check) is highly appreciated, please consider a monthly gift! No matter the amount, monthly contributions provide a steady source of support and enable us to widen our impact!

2014 has brought into stark relief how much critically important work must be done, and how interconnected are so many struggles for freedom, equality, and dignity, whether in Ferguson, Palestine, or Bahrain.

The racism inherent in our country’s state violence (be it the death penalty or police killings), the utter disregard for human life that enabled the recent devastation in Gaza, the continued targeting of human rights defenders from Bahrain to Brazil…these all serve as powerful and painful reminders of how vital it is to highlight everyone’s equal humanity, and to insist on the protection of everyone’s rights and freedom.

Speak out with Troy Davis’s family about the death penalty and criminal justice system in California, Washington, Oregon, Illinois and North Carolina, reaching approximately 1,700 people, most of them students.

I will be in Israel/Palestine when you receive this letter, perhaps in Gaza, assessing the impact of war and siege on Gaza’s health and education systems; with Israeli friends in Tel Aviv or Haifa as they struggle to dismantle their country’s structures of power and privilege and replace them with structures of true equality and justice; at the Freedom Theatre in Jenin Refugee Camp, filming artists who bravely continue in their path of cultural resistance to oppression; or in Jerusalem, documenting the boiling-over tensions of the city, and examining the conditions that led there.

In 2015, your support can enable donkeysaddle projects to continue this ongoing work in Palestine/Israel, in Bahrain, and in the U.S.

Get a second saddle for the donkey! In order to for donkeysaddle projects to effectively reach and impact the greatest numbers of people, I am planning to hire an Outreach Coordinator in 2015. This will enable donkeysaddle projects to expand in critical ways, as we build relationships and lasting partnerships with individuals, organizations and communities…but it also means that I will need to significantly expand my fundraising efforts!

Your contribution allows donkeysaddle projects to have impact for years to come and supports a vision of the world in which every person’s humanity, dignity and rights are equally respected and equally protected.